Geekspeak: February 19, 2001

Half a Keyboard'S Better Than Nothing

Nearly every method for inputting data in a handheld computer requires users to learn a new way to enter the letters and numbers with which they fill their personal digital assistants, but a new Palm OS-based add-on from Matias at least tries to meet them halfway.
The Matias Half Keyboard saves space by dumping the right half of a QWERTY keyboard and superimposing the missing keys on the units left halfto type one of the orphaned letters, you hold down the space bar while hitting its foster-home key.

As inconvenient and unusual as this may sound, it works pretty well because you end up typing the missing letters with the same finger you would use on a full-size keyboard.

The Half Keyboard will be available soon and will cost $99a bit pricey, but in line with other Palm keyboard products.
Browse over to www.halfkeyboard.com/product/index.html#demo for additional information and a product demonstration.

As Editor in Chief of eWEEK Labs, Jason Brooks manages the Labs team and is responsible for eWEEK's print edition. Brooks joined eWEEK in 1999, and has covered wireless networking, office productivity suites, mobile devices, Windows, virtualization, and desktops and notebooks. Jason's coverage is currently focused on Linux and Unix operating systems, open-source software and licensing, cloud computing and Software as a Service. Follow Jason on Twitter at jasonbrooks, or reach him by email at jbrooks@eweek.com.